Airplane bomb-sight



. E. G. F. R. DU MAZUEL.

AIRPLANE BOMB SIGHT.

LICATION FILED APR 3 APP 1918. 1,360,735. Patented Nov. 30,1920.

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E. G. F. R. DU'MAZUEL.

AIRPLANE BOMB SIGHT. AP PL|CATION FILED APR.3. 1918.

1,360,735. Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E. G. F. R. DU MAZUEL.

AIRPLANEBOMB SIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3, I918.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- aww" OZ EGFR. DUMAZUEL.

EDMOND e. F. R. DU MAZUEL, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or coLuMBIA, ASSIGNOR To THE GOVERNMENT or THE UNITED STATES.

carried by airplanes and more particularly UNITED STATES PVAENT OFFICE.

Application filed April 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND GUY FERDI- NAND RoBILLARn DU MAZUEL dOCtOI of science and. consulting engineer, a-citizen of the United States, residing'at Washington,

in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Airplane Bomb-Sights, of which the fOllOVVn mg is a specification.

This invention relates to sighting devices to that type of sighting device-that will enable the pilot to more accurately position the airplane with respect to the target at the moment of launching or. dropping the bomb, this without the need of instructions from the observer.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and practical sighting device so adapted as to permit the observer and pilot to simultaneously view the same object. Another object is to provide adevice of the above general character which will be of simple construction having relatively few parts, which will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which will permit ease of operation; A further object is to provide a simple device of the above-mentioned character which will be reliable and eflicient in use and operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

' 'To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting apreferred form have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic plan view showing the relative location of the device with respect to the frame of the machine and seats of the. observer and pilot.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920. 1918. Serial No. 226,451.

Fig. 2 is a partial bottom plan and sectional elevational view, the outer end of the main tube rotated to an angle of 90 with respect to the inner end of the tube, showing such parts of the device as are necessary to understand the invention.

Fig. 3 is a view of observers eye piece.

Fig. 4 is a detailed diagrammatic View showing the indicating diaphragm and superimposed bubble as seen in the oculars, and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of part of the main tube herein described.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Fig. l, 5 denotes the body of the airplane provided with the usual wings or planes 6. At the forward part of the frame is carried the observers seat 7, immediately behind which is positioned the pilots seat 8. The machinist usually occupies a place 9 behind the ilot, these being their customary relative positions on certain types of airplanes. When seated in this position, the pilots view in an 'upward and downward direction is largely obscured by reason of the planes extending laterally from the relative location of his seat, and he ordinarily has to depend to a large extent in determining his course upon instructions received from the observer. As the noise of the engine in rotating the propeller absolutely prohibits any conversation, instructions for the guiding of the machine are generally transmitted from the observer entirely by means of visual signs and mechanical or electric signals. There fore, the accurate positioning of the airplane with respect to the 'target to be bombed is a very difficult if not an impossible matter, and it-is toward the simplification of this problem that the present in vention is directed. I

For accomplishing the purposes of this invention, I preferably provide an instrument such as is shown in detail in Fig. 2,

- of Substantially T-shape, comprising a main tube 11 containing an aperture and objective lens mechanism 13 and a secondary tube 14.- secured intermediate its ends to one end vof said main tube, the axes of said tubes being in a horizontal plane. This tube is 1'0- vided with ocularsor eye-pieces 15 an 16 at its ends, and suitable light transmitting lens mechanism 13.-

By means of this strum .to the main body of the telescope.

ture the target may be viewed simultaneously by the observer and pilot, dia rammatically in Fig. 1.

i t the outer end of the. main tube 11 an inner rotatable tube 17 is mounted, in which is positioned the aperture 12 and a receiving prism 18, and through themedium of intervening lenses and prisms the image of the target will be accurately transmitted to the oculars 15 and 16. Thus the pilot looking through one ocular 16 is enabled to accurately position the airplane with respect to the target, and the observer, using the other ocular 15, can observe the target and determine when to actuate the bomb dropping mechanism.

As the observers seat is positioned in front of the pilots seat, it has been found convenient to mount the observers eye-piece or ocular 15 in a separate extension 20 (shown in Fig. 3) whose axis is disposed at an angle to the axis of the secondary tube.

The optical means for transmitting the image of the target from the receiving prism to the oculars includes the usual system of lenses and prisms, all of which are well known and familiar to those skilled in the art and form no part of the present invention, except as they may enter into certain combinations as set forth in the claims. These are, however, disclosed diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings and are thought to need no further mention.

In making observations, it is quite essential that the entering face of the receiving prism occupy a position parallel to the plane of the earth. This requires a relative adjustment of the receiving prism with respect As the preferable means for accomplishing this, the main part of the telescope is fixedly attached to the body of the airplane and moves with it and therefore assumes various angles with respect to the plane of the earth. So, to provide for the necessary adjustment of the prism, the rotation of the inner tube Y I carrying the prism is provided for in one plane and, the prism itself is made independently adjustable by rotation in a plane at right angles to' said first named plane.

1 Such adjustment may be made either auto- ,.matically, as by means of a gyroscope, or

manually. In the present case I have else, as in the drawing shown, may be made vlded' two levers, one of. wh1ch 21, through shaft 22 and suitable gearing, serves to ad- 'just. the prism,-and the other 23, by means ofgearin acts to rotate the inner rotata- .ble tubel crank 22 The shaft 22 has mounted thereon a bell A flexible connection 32 is provided, one terminal of -which is connected to the bell crank 22*, the other terminal being fastened on' a spring drum 33 mounted on the axis of the prism 18. The lever 21 as indicated may be held in a number of fixed positions by suitable ratchet means (not shown) and I meshes with an internal gear 41 at one end of a ring 42. The other end of the ring 42 is offset at 43 to receive one-end of the inner tube 17 which is stationary with the ring 42 and rotates therewith. The other end of the tube 17 has mounted thereon a housing 44 which rotates with the tube 17. Suitable anti-friction devices 45 and 46 are provided to insure the ready operation of the various parts described.

Immediately above the prism, attached to its axis and movable with it, is mounted a small receptacle 24 carrying a liquid to.

form a level bubble, a View of which is transmitted by means of reflecting prisms 25 and lenses to the oculars where it appearsias on the top line of the diaphragm. This diaphragm 26 is disposed Within the inner rotatable tube and as can'be seen in Fig. 4 is provided with a central longitudinal crosshair 27, and a main transverse cross-hair 28. Supplemental transverse cross-hairs 30 are provided at known distances, apart. AS

viewed from the oculars, the diaphragm and c level bubble 31 appear superimposed, the bubble appearing in the proper part of the field of the diaphragm as aforesaid and appearing concentric to its container 24, as

shown in Fig. 4, when in proper l'evel position. a 1

In use and operation the observer endeavors. to keep the entering faceof the receiving prism in relative horizontal position with respect to the target while the pilot,=1.

maneuvers the airplane into such position that the target will appear upon the main vertical cross-hair or main meridian. 27, Fig. 4. The observer by noting the location of the target on the diaphragm willat'the v proper moment release the bomb according to the elevation and speed of the machine, which factors have aknownrelation to the cross-hair intervals. Thus, for. example,,at

an altitude of say 10,000, feet and a speedof 100 miles an hour, the target should; appear upon the diaphragm at the intersection of the tenth cross-hair withthe vertical in order to insure a proper hit'under ordinary circumstances. V I v It is believed from the above description that those skilled in the art will have'no difliculty in understanding the construction,

herein disclosed and a detailed discussion thereof is unnecessary. The invention is of simple and practical construction and is' adapted to accomplish among others all of the objects and advantages herein set forth.

WVithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features, that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a double sighting telescope, -.a substantially T-shaped structure comprising a main tube containing objective lens mechanism, a secondary tube secured intermediate its ends to said main tube and provided with an ocular at either end, and means associated with said tubes for transmitting light from said objective lens mechanism to the oculars.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which one of the oculars is disposed at an angle to the axis of said secondary tube.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which one ofthe oculars is disposed within a separate extension whose axis is at an angle to the axis of said secondary tube.

4. The combination set forthin claim 1, said objective lens mechanism being independently rotatable with respect to the secondary tube.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1, said objective lens mechanism and the oculars'being relatively rotatable.

6. The combinationset forth in. claim 4, and means for relatively rotating .the objective lens mechanism and theoculars.

- 7. The combination set forth in claim 6, said means comprising an inner rotatable tube mounted within the main tube, a lever,

and gearing associated with saidv rotatable tube and actuated by said lever to rotate.

said inner tube.

8. In a telescope, in combination, a main tube containing an objective lens mechanism, a secondary tube secured to the main tube with its axis at an angle to the axis of said main tube, an ocular associated with said secondary tube. an indicating diaphragm, a

level bubble, and means for producing a superimposed image'of thebubble and diaphragm at the ocular.

9. In a telescope, in combination, a main tube containing an objective lens mechanism, a secondary tube secured to one end of the main tube with its axis at an angleto the axis of said main tube, an ocular associated with said secondary tube, an indicating diaphragm, a level bubble 1 associated with said objective lens mechanism, and means for producing a superimposed image of the bubble and diaphragm at the ocular.

10. In combination a telescope comprising a main tube, a secondary tube attached at an angle thereto, means for. causing relative rotation of the tubes, an adjustable receiving prism at the objective end of the main tube, a level bubble associated with said prism, an indicating diaphragm, and means for producing a superimposed image of the bubble and diaphragm at the ocular end of said secondary tube, whereby the leveling of the prism may be facilitated;

11. In combination a telescope comprising a main tube, a secondary tube attached at an angle thereto,-means for causing relative rotation of the tubes, an adjustable receiving prism at the objective end of the main tube, a level bubble associated with said prism, an indicating diaphragm, and means for roducing a superimposed image of the bubb e and diaphragm at the ocular end of said secondary tube, whereby the leveling of the prism may be facilitated, and means for leveling said prism.

i 12. In an instrument for viewing distant objects, in combination, a main tube provided with an adjustable receiving prism, side observing tubes each having an eyepiece, means for adjusting the receiving prism in one plane, mean or adjusting the main tube in a second pla 'e at right angles to the first named plane.

13. In a telescope, in combination, a main tube containing'an objective lens mechanism, a secondary tube secured to the main tube with its axis at an angle to the axis of said main tube, an ocular associated therewith, means for causing relative rotation of the ocular and objective lens mechanism,'and a level bubble mechanism associated with said objective lens mechanism for indlcatmg the proper level thereof. I

Signedat Washin on, District of Columbia, this 8th day of ecember, 1917.

E. G. F. R. DU MAZUEL. 

